Christmas Break
by T. Rivard
Summary: CHAPTER 6 UPDATE! Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and all the other students that stayed behind for Christmas Break their 6th year at Hogwarts have a lot to look forward to? Can friends and enemies work together to fight for the one's they love? RHr, HGw
1. Quidditch Match

**Disclaimer: **None of these names are owned by me...I have no legal contracts or rights to any of these names; this story is nothing more than what this site was intended for...a fan-fic.

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Harry watched the blurred motions below the flaking bits of snow as they floated towards the ground in front of him. His hand gripped his broom tightly, the cold air biting at his finger tips. He bent down and stared into the stands, however, with the snow flakes falling in front of his face it was hard to make out anything; luckily Colin Creevey could be heard easily while he was over the field. Harry didn't think he did as good a job as the previous year's commentator, but his exaggerations on everything made everything either better or worse.

"Oh my! Weasley Let's another goal in!" Harry heard Colin yell. Harry turned to look as he slightly muttered to himself figuring that made it... "And that's 20 – 10 Ravenclaw!" he heard Colin yell. Harry rolled over on his broom to look out across the pitch towards Ron's end. The game had only started and yet Ron had already let two goals in. He had been sure Ron had gotten better at keeping the goals well protected the year before.

Harry turned and soared up a little more and then swooped down with his broom. The snow was making it very hard to see the golden snitch and so Harry had to try to just happen to fly by it. Harry swerved past an oncoming bludger. It would have hit him if it had come in a straight line; however the wind had begun to pick up and had blown the bludger slightly at a parabolic curve sideways and away from him. He stopped his quick flight down as he heard some major cheers and looked over to his right seeing the Gryffindors jumping up and down. "Great save by Weasley!" Colin yelled.

Harry smiled slightly. "That a boy, Ron," he said to himself. He then looked around which had become even harder as the snow storm was definitely getting a lot worse. The wind was blowing the flakes past his face and blowing directly into him. His cheeks were of a bright red rosy color from the snow and cold, and he had lost feeling in his nose. He was trying very hard to squint through the snow looking for Cho. He hadn't heard anything about her suddenly going into any sort of dive but Harry could tell that everyone was having some trouble seeing in the storm so it could have happened.

Then Harry's sight caught a glimpse of a quick moving person heading towards the Ravenclaw goal post from high up. Harry quickly jolted to a fast pace speed. The snow pounding in his face as he began to catch up with the one he was flying after. He was just behind his target and could now tell that it was definitely Cho and she was definitely chasing after the snitch. Harry got up beside her as he heard some cheers and Colin announce that Gryffindor had scored. He was head to head with Cho and to his surprise she pulled to the right bashing into him at full speed as he spun out of action for a short period of time. When he turned back the Snitch was gone and Cho was sitting on her broom breathing in deeply. Harry could tell her maneuver had thrown her off balance as well as himself.

"Ginny scores!" Harry heard Colin yell. There were many cheers at his voice proving that they were having as much trouble as he himself was having in seeing through the storm. He looked around and then decided to head in the same direction that the snitch had gone hoping to find it. He flew past a Ravenclaw and could tell he was pretty close to the ground if they were flying at his same height. He dove underneath a bludger that had been hit his way and made a rolling move past Ginny as they collided into one another.

"Sorry Harry," Ginny said holding her head. "I didn't see you."

"This is insane. I can't see a thing," Harry said. "How are you keeping up with that quaffle?" he said feeling more and more cold wind pushing against his bare skin on his arms. Ginny, however, did not have time to respond as one of the Ravenclaw chasers flew by holding the quaffle and Ginny jumped right on it, her pretty old comet trying very hard to kick into speed after the chaser.

Harry shot a glance around the growing snow storm trying to hear the sound of something but he doubted anyone could see anything. He gripped his broom tighter as he pulled up on the handle of his broom pulling himself up into the air. As soon as he was moving upwards he began to regret this move. The flakes shot into him as if they were being shot from a cannon and they actually caused pain as they collided with his face one after another after another. He pulled to a halt and turned facing down, his face frozen from the frostbite. His ears deceived him as he heard Colin shout that Gryffindor had scored again. "How come they can see but I can't," he said. He decided they must have some sort of magic allowing them to see visibly on the pitch.

Well, the score was now 40 – 20 Gryffindor and although it was a lead it meant nothing if Cho caught the snitch first, and Harry wasn't going to be losing another game. He began his previous tactic swooping through the snow and the wind brushing past other players here and there. He felt his arm go numb as a bludger smacked him directly behind his left elbow. The pain was escalated with the nipping cold air and he could no longer move it. Harry had learned that catching the snitch with a single hand was a difficult task; however, he also learned it was a possibility.

Harry moved his left fingers slightly around his broomstick handle hearing Colin's voice yell a save for Ravenclaw. The score was now 70 – 30 Gryffindor and the storm wasn't showing any signs of letting up. Harry pulled up quickly as he saw himself getting to close to the ground. The snow was completely impairing his vision and his glasses didn't make it any easier to see what was around him. Harry squinted as once again the rush of falling snow stung his entire face as he forced himself up away from the ground. The cold was now numbing his right fingers and he knew that if he didn't find the snitch soon it would become impossible for him to close his fingers around it.

Harry shot past the Gryffindor goal posts and saw Ron. Ron was flying back and forth in front of the goal posts as if trying to hopefully get lucky and be in front of the right hoop at the right time and the whole game of quidditch seemed to fall in line with a game of chance and luck without the sense of seeing. Harry went to turn around the goal posts to head back out when he saw the sparkle of gold off to the right of the goal post he was near by. He took no time in shooting forward towards the golden snitch. Luckily the snitch wasn't white like its wings because for a moment Harry did not even see them flapping, however, it didn't take long for the snitch to pick up speed and begin heading towards the opposite goal post as he heard Colin call another goal by Ginny.

Harry chased after the snitch. The snow fighting against him along with the many other players he was swerving in and out of. He had to dive out of Cho's way as he passed her and she was then on his heels. He pushed the Firebolt to move faster towards the glaring gold ball in front of him. His hand outstretched towards it as he felt Cho's presence just behind him, but she wasn't going to have enough time to catch up with him. He could feel his cold fingers as they brushed against the frozen surface of the snitch, his fingers curling around its delicate body and the left wing being crushed in his right hand. His left hand was unable to keep full balance on the broom, but balance didn't matter. Seconds after he grasped the snitch with all his might he flew head first into the Ravenclaw goal post and with a very quick drop fell and landed hard onto the ground over 100 ft below his crash site.

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**Author's Notes: **Well, this is my first actual fan-fic and I would very much enjoy some R/R for it because it is just a base to get the story started. The whole story does not have to do with a quidditch match, just this chapter actually. The whole story is about the Christmas break at Hogwarts in Harry's 6th year. Hope you like it.


	2. Hospital Wing

Ron sat down beside Harry in the Hospital Wing with Hermione and Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindor team. They looked at the unconscious Harry with a slight bit of concern. "He always gets injured in these games." Hermione said looking at Harry with pity in her eyes slightly. She was warming her hands with her gloves and her breath still cold from the outside air.

"Well, it's not exactly his fault," Ron said turning to Hermione. "Although, he should have been a little more cautious, we really couldn't see more than two feet in front of us out there."

"I bumped into him on the field," Ginny said piping up. She was sitting down in the third chair around Ron's bed. "And I didn't even see him coming."

"And it doesn't help he's flying such a fast broom." Dean Thomas said.

Madame Pomfrey walked over carrying a few bottles over to the side of his bed. She placed her hand on his head and a few seconds after Harry began to open his eyes. "You okay Mr. Potter?" she asked him handing him a strange red liquid.

"Um, sure," Harry said moving his hand to his head and Ron could tell that it probably hurt.

"Awesome Catch," Dean said excitedly.

"Was I able to keep my grip on it?" Harry asked.

"Oh yeah," Ron said. "Don't worry, we won 230 to 30." Ron smiled and had a tingly feeling inside of him. Harry felt fine and they had one, and he had only let in 3 goals. His Christmas break was already starting out good.

"You should have been more careful Harry, when you realized it was hard to see you should have paid more attention to the things out in front of you." Hermione stated flatly, most likely out of worry.

"Oh lay of it Hermione," Ron said rolling his eyes. They had one, and surely he wouldn't be stuck in here long. Ron watched Harry try to sit up but his hand moved to his head and Madame Pomfrey pushed him back down.

"I am afraid you will have to stay in here until at least Dinner tomorrow." Pomfrey said as she pushed him to drink the liquid.

"Does that mean I will have to miss the Hogsmeade trip?" Harry asked a little disappointment in his voice. Ron hadn't even thought of that part. Harry, Hermione, and him were supposed to be spending the day checking out Honey Dukes and talking in the three broomsticks. Without the stress of all there NEWT classes in the way they were going to be able to talk without much stress. Neither of them had had much time to talk.

"Yes, I am afraid so," Madame Pomfrey said. Harry drank the red liquid and Ron watched as he spit it back out a look of utter distaste on his lips. Dean and the other quidditch players laughed but shut up when Pomfrey turned to stare at them.

"It's okay Harry," Hermione said trying to console him. "Me and Ron will most definitely bring you back plenty of treats."

"Of course we will," Ron said. He pushed the disappointment from his voice. He had spent a winter Hogsmeade trip alone with Hermione before...well, for a little while. Ron wondered if Harry would try to sneak out again this time.

"Yeah," Harry said although he didn't sound to be satisfied with their offer.

"Well, I have some last minute work for Snape, so I wasn't planning on going to Hogsmeade tomorrow. When I finish it I'll come by and stay with you," Ginny said with a smile. Ron saw her blush as Harry turned to her. She hadn't made it very long with Dean, mostly because he had fallen for Lavender into the first month of this school year. Ron had noticed that Ginny's attention had seemed to revere back to Harry.

"Well, I don't want to hold you from going," Harry said.

"No, It's okay," Ginny said shaking her head. "I wasn't going to be going anyways."

"Don't worry," Dean said. "Me and Lavender will bring both of you back a few little jokes from the joke shop."

"Unless she starts predicting that all the jokes will possibly kill him," Ron said causing Harry and a few of the others to laugh. Lavender and Parvati were still very fond of Trelawny and even though Harry and Ron were no longer taking that class they heard the two of them talking about how Harry was predicted to die almost every day.

"It's Trelawny who makes the predictions," Dean said as if putting up a defense for his girl friend. "It's not Lavender."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said to Dean. "Ron was only joking."

"Yeah, sorry," Ron said still giggling a little. "Didn't mean notin by it."

"Whatever," Dean said sounding a little upset. "Harry needs his rest, come on you guys lets let him sleep." The rest of the team followed Dean out laughing a little still at him from Ron's joke.

"Hey man," Ron said turning back to Harry. "Don't worry about it too much, besides, this will make it easier for me to buy you your Christmas present."

"Oh my," Hermione said suddenly. "I haven't mailed out my parents' gifts yet." She suddenly stood up. "Sorry I got to go take care of that," she then walked quickly out of the room. Ron looked between his best friend and his sister and listened intently to the silence that fell over the room.

"Yeah, well," Ron said standing up. "You really should get your rest Harry."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said. Ron, however, could tell he didn't want the company to leave.

"I'm gonna stay her for a bit," Ginny said looking up at her brother. "I want to have my knee looked at, it got hit pretty hard by a bludger and it is hard to walk on it."

"Okay then," Ron said. "I'll see you two sometime tomorrow, I'll come by with your treats after we get back."

"Okay," Harry said. "I'll see you then."

Ron turned and walked away as Harry turned his attention to Ginny. He had no Idea what they were talking to one another about, but he knew it couldn't be anything important. He closed the door behind him to the hospital wing and then headed down to the common room. He stopped outside as the Fat Lady opened her eyes. "Password?" she asked looking at Ron.

"Leviosa," Ron said. The portrait swung open and he turned around to the sound of someone running behind him. Hermione stopped just in front of him.

"Well, they're off," Hermione said. "I do hope they get there in time."

"Relax," Ron said. "Your gifts always got there at least a week ahead of time before."

"Well, I am a little late in mailing them," Hermione said.

"Not that late," Ron said as he turned and walked through the portrait not wanting the Fat Lady to get all mad at him for making her wait. Hermione climbed in behind him. "The other students don't leave for home till after tomorrow."

"You just don't know my parents," Hermione said sitting down in one of the chairs, and for the first time in months not having a book propped open.

"No, I guess I don't," Ron said not wanting to get into an argument.

"So, where are you going to want to go first tomorrow?" He asked knowing that they would probably change some plans around now that it would just be the two of them.

"How's about we decide tomorrow," Hermione said. "I am exhausted, and it's gotten really late."

"Okay, sounds fine," Ron said and then couldn't think of anything else to talk about so he just sat there looking out the window at the falling snow.


	3. A Warm Arm

The sunlight shined brightly on the cold winter day. Hermione's hair blew behind her winter hat. She could feel the cold wind blowing against her face and she could already feel the need to get inside the three broomsticks. She couldn't wait for the bumpy carriage ride to end.

"So we are going to head to the three broomsticks then?" Ron asked sitting across from her in the bumpy carriage.

"Yeah," Hermione said smiling at her redheaded friend. It was hard to tell if he liked the idea or if he hated it. He never really allowed his emotions to show what he thought of her and it made it very difficult. She felt something for him for the longest time but could never tell if he had the same feelings for her. True, he had been quite the jealous one at the Yule ball in their 4th year, but that doesn't mean a thing. "I am kind of hoping to see if we can run into any other people in there before we start walking around the town."

"Okay," Ron said. "As long as you don't start talking to them about work and school and everything."

Hermione giggled at his lack for the like of school talk during the Christmas break. "Well," she said thinking deeply about what she was going to say. "If I do, I promise to play a game of chess with you back in the common room tonight." Hermione could tell that Ron was thinking of saying something but she caught a glimpse of a smile.

"You've got a deal," he said. The carriage came to a stop and she walked out of the carriage and the cold wind bit her nose as soon as they stepped out. It was very windy and she didn't think she could sit there and freeze.

"Come on, let's get into the Three Broomsticks," she said. "I'm freezing."

Ron smiled and he put his arm around her, although, as Hermione noticed, it was with a slight hesitation on his part. "Well, let's see if we can't get you someplace warmer."

Hermione blushed as he led her to the Three Broomsticks. Oh, wouldn't Harry get a kick out of this one if he were there. Ron pushed open the door as they entered the pub and headed inside. "Would you like a Butterbeer?" Ron asked her.

"I would very much like one, thank you," Hermione said smiling, however, disappointed when he let go of her now that they were inside, maybe it was nothing more than the fact that they were friends and he was just trying to be friendly. 'Oh, I hope not,' Hermione thought sitting down at one of the tables as Ron headed up to the counter. He paid for the two butterbeers and then brought them over to the table. He handed one to Hermione.

Just before Ron sat down Hermione scowled at the sight of Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy who had just entered into the Three Broomsticks. And she motioned Ron to look as they headed in their direction.

"Hey, It's the muggle-lover and the mudblood." Draco said walking over. "What's up you two love birds."

"Back off Malfoy," Ron muttered to the blond boy. Hermione could feel the tension in the room rise the instant Draco opened his mouth. There were other people in the pub that had heard him call her a mudblood.

"Oh, what are you going to do about it Weasley?" Draco asked with a sneer. Hermione could see that Ron was very angry and was afraid he may do something rash, but then, she was afraid she might do something rash as well.

"I said, Back off Malfoy," Ron said his face was turning red and his hand had reached into his wallet.

"Wow, two butterbeers," Pansy said from behind Draco. "I'm surprised you could afford just one for yourself other than one for your girlfriend as well." The four Slytherins laughed and Draco and Ron both opened their mouths to say something but shut them when Dumbledore and Flitwick walked into the pub. At the sight of the two proffesors Draco and his goons turned and headed to the counter to buy themselves some drinks.

"Stupid-git," Ron muttered as he sat back down. Hermione was a little upset she didn't get to hear what he was going to say to the girlfriend crack from Pansy.

"What were you about to say to Pansy?" Hermione asked.

"Just that I wasn't as poor as she thought I was," Ron said taking a sip of his butterbeer. "The twins are doing very well with their profits and they've been lending and giving me some money so that mum and dad don't have to."

"Oh," Hermione said looking down and then drinking some of the warm butterbeer. It melted in her throat with utmost satisfaction. "So, that was all you were going to say?"

"Yeah," Ron said. He was looking at her funny and Hermione could feel that he was trying to figure out why she cared so much about it. She wanted to ask him what he thought about the last part but decided to mention it again later, maybe while they were more alone so that he would be more comfortable answering it.

"Okay," Hermione said. "Glad you didn't lose your temper." She smiled a sweet smile at him and noticed him blush slightly.

"I almost did," He scowled turning to look at Malfoy who was now sitting down with his goons, a few other Slytherins had sat around him now. "He should not call you a mudblood. It's not right, it just isn't"

"I don't hear you get all mad about it when he calls others a mudblood." She said pushing him and trying to trap him in a corner. She could tell that it was working because he seemed very pressed to find his words.

"Well," Ron said with a slight pause. "I guess they just aren't as good a friend as you are."

Hermione smiled feeling flattered by his words. "Come on," she said standing up and leaving the bottle there. "We need to pick up Harry some treats." She really just wanted to distance her and Ron from Draco and his friends.

"Yeah, poor Harry," Ron said standing up and heading to the door. "Be prepared for the cold," he said.

"I'm nice and warm now," Hermione said as they walked outside into the blistering cold winds. It had gotten a lot windier outside but for some reason she felt much warmer than she had before. Maybe it was Ron's arm that was around her, maybe it wasn't.


	4. Shadis

Harry reached over to the table and placed his glasses on and looked around the deserted hospital wing. Everyone was off at Hogsmeade now, everyone but him that was. He looked to the ceiling, thinking of the last game, he was happy they had one and began to think that maybe it was a good thing his two friends were off alone for a bit. Then he began to once again feel sorry for himself and wished he was there with them.

About a half an hour of staring at the ceiling and thinking of what he was missing at Hogsmeade, he heard someone enter the hospital wing. He turned to see Ginny walking in with a small smile. "I told you I would come by," she said sitting down beside him.

"I know you did," Harry said. "I didn't doubt your words for a second…" he said, knowing that a few times he wondered if she would remember. He sat up in his bed and looked at her. "How was the essay?"

"Don't ask," Ginny said with an obvious hint of frustration in her voice.

"That bad?" Harry asked, not surprised at the least.

"Yeah," Ginny said, but then skipped the topic of potions; it was obvious not what she wanted to talk about. "How are you doing?" she asked him taking his hand and holding it…then she let it go and blushed.

Harry wasn't sure what to say as his mind flashed back to the valentine his second year here. "Well, not long till Christmas, you done you're shopping?" he asked her trying to push a conversation, knowing he was bored out of his mind.

"Oh, no…" Ginny said smiling a bit… "and yes."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked confused.

"I'm still waiting for one gift to come in, its coming by owl order, and it hasn't arrived yet." Ginny said looking at him and then with a slight jump turned to her pocket and pulled out a chocolate frog and gave it to him. "I brought this for you."

"Thanks," Harry said taking it. He opened it up and then broke the frog in half handing half to Ginny, who took it without arguing. Harry was of course more interested in the card. He turned it over; he knew the wizard on the front but didn't have the card yet. The wizard on the card was none other than Denziel Shadis, or, as Harry knew him, Proffesor Shadis. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"He's on a card?" Ginny asked reading over Harry's shoulder. Harry only nodded turning it over to read what it said…

_Denziel Shadis is famous for many things, but is most famous for his invention of the Sneek-o-Scope. A small device that spins when evil is near. He learned over a period of time that it more worked by reading the minds of people and has been working on more than just memory modification inventions since his discovery. Some believe him to be a very smart wizard. A friend of Dumbledore's from school at Hogwarts, top of his charms class, and being beaten only by Dumbledore himself in Defense Against the Dark Arts. _

"That's quite interesting," Harry said turning it over some and handing the card to Ginny. It didn't take her long to read it.

"Didn't Ron get you one of those?" Ginny asked him handing the card back to him.

"A sneek-o-scope? Yeah," Harry said. "He got me it for my birthday. It spun all the time around Ron because of Peter being in his pocket." Harry stopped speaking as he mentioned his father's old friend.

"It says here he is working on something other than memory charms…" Ginny said looking at it.

"I wonder if that has anything to do with why Dumbledore had me finish Occlumency with him instead of Snape." Harry hadn't thought of why, except that Snape hadn't wanted to help him anymore after the previous years.

"It probably does," Ginny said, but Harry saw something else in her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked her looking into her eyes.

"Maybe he's the reason we need occlumency in the first place…" she said and Harry could tell she had been thinking about it for a few minutes.

"I guess it is possible that he could have been the one to invent both, the curse and the counter curse." Harry said shrugging. He decided it was about time to see if he could stand. He turned around and stood up, and felt fine. His leg didn't hurt at all.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Harry asked Ginny wanting to get some exercise. "We can continue this conversation on the walk."

"Sure," Ginny said very quickly. "Maybe we will run into professor Shadis on the way there."


	5. Together At Last

Ron looked across over the hill towards the shrieking shack. It never looked all that scary in the winter, but Ron couldn't help but remember his trip there his third year. When Harry found Sirius and Ron had his leg bit by a rabid dog. Where his pet rat had turned into a human who had been working for Voldemort.

"Are you okay Ron?" Hermione asked him as he stared out towards the shrieking shack.

"Oh yeah," Ron said suddenly snapping back to reality. "I'm fine." He could feel her warmth under his arm. He had completely forgotten he had his arm around her, and although hadn't done it for any reason other than a friendly way of helping her warm up, now that she was warm he didn't want to take it away.

"You two make a cute couple," A friendly female voice said walking up beside them. Ron looked over and turned a deep shade of red when he saw Luna come walking up beside them. A copy of the latest issue of the quibbler rolled up in her cloak pocket.

"Ha," Hermione said simply as Ron took his arm away out of shear embarrassment. He then quickly decided it best to keep from such a topic; he had been trying to do so all day. He had kept from shouting anything to Draco when he called her his girl friend earlier because he didn't want to think about it too in depth. "What's in it this week?" Ron asked with a sound of his normal obnoxious tone.

"In the Quibbler?" Luna asked. Ron nodded and he caught a glimpse of a frown on Hermione's face and he wondered what it was for.

"Well, there was an article on the pixie twins…" she said. Ron heard Hermione's grumbles but to his surprise she didn't start exploding with remarks of how it wasn't true and couldn't be proven.

"The pixie twins?" Ron asked trying to keep a conversation going.

"Yeah, you know," Luna started. "The pixies who look exactly alike and live in dark spooking places together. They are the ones that move things on us when we aren't paying attention. They are the reason we can't find things where we put them."

"Oh," Ron said simply looking around the town. The snow was falling again and if it hadn't begun to grow dark Ron was sure it would have been a pretty site. He looked back towards the shrieking shack.

"You know, are there ever any true articles in that thing other than the Voldemort one last year?" Hermione asked, Ron could tell she was trying to be nice about it.

"They are all true," Luna said showing a sheer bit of frustration. Hermione was never willing to believe any of the stories written in that thing, none of them at all.

Ron took this as a moment to try and stop the conversation at all costs. "You done your Christmas shopping yet Luna?" Ron asked.

"Oh yes," Luna said with a newly lit smile on her face. "I have it all, bough a few more things today to tell you the truth." She held up a few small boxes before putting them back in her pocket.

Ron saw Hermione force a smile on her face, "I just have one person left to shop for, and I am afraid I still have no idea what to get him."

"Him?" Ron asked, his mind jumping to Krum. Why was it she still wrote to him?

"Yes, _Him_ Ron." Hermione said flatly as if she was trying to bug him slightly.

"And who is _him?_" Ron asked not catching the disappearance of Luna.

"It doesn't matter…" Hermione said with a shrug. This simply just bugged Ron even more. "You aren't still talking to Krum, are you?"

"Why, why do you care?" Hermione asked. Ron had trouble catching any anger in her voice. Ron was suddenly afraid to answer her question. He could lie, or maybe not tell her the whole truth, but he didn't want to take that chance, but he also wasn't ready to tell her the truth.

"I just don't trust him," Ron said simply looking Hermione into the eyes.

"Don't trust him?" Hermione asked and then Ron saw a small smile spread across her face. "Are you jealous Ronald?"

Ron turned a light shade of pink. "If he hurts you, I'll kill him."

"We are just pen pals, Ron." Hermione said as she turned and began to walk away from the shrieking shack.

"But he sure wishes you were something more than that." Ron stated simply.

Hermione stopped and turned to look at Ron. Ron heard her sigh and then she said something he didn't expect her to say. "Yes, your right. He wants to be more. But I want to more than just friends with you…and you won't let that happen. So why must I let Krum and I be anything more than pen pals?"

Ron looked on at her solemn face as she waited for his response. His tongue caught in his throat. It was now, or never. "You mean that?" he asked weakly.

"Yes, I do…" Hermione said, still a small little expression of worry.

"Then, I have no choice…" Ron said simply and after a slow sigh. "Would you like to go out with me?" he asked her. He never got a yes or no answer. Just a tight hug and a simple kiss on the cheek told him all he needed to know.


	6. The Mind

Harry looked out upon the snow from the third story window. The sun glistened little sparkles off the white blanket of snow. "So, you were the first person to read minds?" Harry asked professor Shadis who was now walking with both him and Ginny.

"Not the first, I was just the first to teach others how to do it, there were most certainly good mind readers before me." Shadis said looking out the window. "A pupil of mine began to read my mind and soon enough I knew I had to find a way to keep him out of there before he found out something he shouldn't…So, I invented Occlumency."

"Was your pupil…" Ginny started

"Voldemort…yes it was," Shadis said turning and looking at the two students. "A bright student, but a very troubled boy. I'm not sure if he ever found out, but he hasn't shown signs of knowing."

"Knowing what?" Harry asked.

Shadis looked at Harry and stared at him for a bit. The stare scared Harry. It was like looking into the eyes of Hawk, your completely unsure what they are thinking and what they are about to do.

"I guess I can trust you, although Dumbledore might disagree…" Shadis paused for a moment. "When I invented Occlumency I learned something about the mind of a wizard, and I invented something that could actually alter not the memory, but the dreams and desires of another person. If Voldemort got a hold of this item, I'm afraid we would have no more people wishing to fight against him, I'm afraid even you may be bowing before him."

Harry looked at Professor Shadis almost in disbelief, completely forgetting that Ginny was there for the simple reason that his scar had begun to burn, which hadn't happened in months…something was dreadfully wrong about this man, something that Harry couldn't pick out.

Professor Shadis sighed. "I need to speak with Dumbledore, and I believe your friends should be returning just about now anyways. Do me a favor, and keep my secret, will you Harry?"

Harry nodded as he watched the man walk away. A scruffy man, as old as Dumbledore, except strangely with black hair still.

"Harry, if…" Ginny began but she could tell Harry was already thinking the same thing.

"If Voldemort is still in my mind, he now knows…I kind of wish I didn't ask…" Harry said as he turned to Ginny. "Come on, let's meet Ron and Hermione in the Common Room, before everyone goes home tomorrow."

"We are staying here Harry," Ginny said as they headed up the stairs towards the Fat Lady.

"Password," The Fat Lady said as she saw them coming. "Himpalodium" Harry said with a quick smile to Ginny as the portrait opened. "For a minute there I thought I had forgotten it…" Harry said.

"I had forgotten it," Ginny said with a giggle as they entered the common room to a very large crowd.

Harry didn't see Ron or Hermione anywhere.

"Harry," Dean said walking over to him. "Grab a butterbeer man, this party isn't going to last all night."

"A Christmas party before you all leave," Harry said with a look of shock having forgotten they had been planning this forever.

Ginny tapped Harry on the shoulder and pointed to the back table where he could make out two people, Ron and Hermione. They seemed occupied with in their own conversation to have noticed him and Ginny and enter. "Come on," Harry said motioning for Ginny to follow him over.

"Did you guys have fun?" Harry asked the two as he sat down at the common room table.

Ron seemed to look towards Harry as if he had just noticed he was even there, but the big grin on his face was enough to tell Harry he hadn't gotten in too bad a fight with Hermione while they were out.

"Got you some treats," Ron said handing him a bag of Honey Dukes candy.

"That reminds me," Harry said reaching in his pocket. "Look," he shoved the Wizarding Card towards Ron.

"Woah, I don't have this one yet," Ron said at first sight, it wasn't until after that he realized why Harry wanted him to look at it. "Professor Shadis invented that piece of crap?"

Harry looked at Ron with a grin. "It worked quite well, didn't it?"

Ron shrugged, "Sure."

Harry looked from Ron to Hermione and then to Ginny, the girls were awfully quite. Seamus came up and grabbed Harry by the shoulder.

"Don't worry Harry," Hermione shouted after him. "We'll have time to talk tomorrow."


End file.
